


you do it for him

by llien



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Control Issues, Gen, Kingdom Hearts III Speculation, M/M, Set post dream drop distance and tentatively in kh3, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 09:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17423198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/llien/pseuds/llien
Summary: Sora's training was by circumstance — he learned whatever saved his life and netted him the least scars. It's high time they've fixed this.“Your soul stained my shoulders. My whole life smells like you. This will take time. Undoing you from my blood.”





	you do it for him

**Author's Note:**

> Yes that's Steven Universe, but not quite the same. It sparked the inspiration, but I just wonder... 
> 
> This is how I imagine Aqua, and by extension Riku and Sora, are with the experiences burdening them now.

Sora bounced on his toes, excitement rippling across his features with shameless anticipation.

The eternal twilight of Yen Sid’s tower didn’t seem to damper Sora’s energy, or even affect it. Yen Sid took care to provide them with hovering flowers of daylight that kept them from lethargy, but they weren’t effective outside. Still, the breeze was warm on Riku’s upturned face, and it pulled teasingly at his hair. He was lounging on the steps, Kairi beside him with her arms hanging loosely off her knees, watching with bright attentive eyes. Leaning against the tower’s wall was Lea, who kept just as close a watch.

“Can you believe it?” Sora sang, throwing his arms wide and allowing the momentum to pirouette him around unsteadily. Riku couldn’t help a grin, but he stayed where he was, elbows propping him up on the step behind him as he stretched out. “A real master’s gonna teach us magic!”

“Hey!” Riku said, scathing but only joking. “What’s that make me? A wannabe?”

“Come off it Riku,” Sora said, all worldly as if he had the upper hand. “Your magic isn’t as good. I mean, you’re weirdly great at barriers,” Sora muttered, frowning in that it’s-really-a-pout way of his, “but you never use elemental magic.”

That was true. Riku took to practical work and defensive magic. The offensive just escaped him. He bit his lip in thought. He’d been aware of this, but having it pointed out in front of others galled him.

“I’m gonna have a real master teach me and I’ll be better than Riku at it!” Sora said triumphantly, thrusting his hand into the air above him and summoning his keyblade. He spun it with casual grace, threw it up in the air to wheel around, and caught it. “Though, I’ll probably never be better than Lea at fire magic.”

“Heh,” Lea said. He twisted his wrist around, fire flicking across his knuckles and between his fingers. “Sorry kid, can’t help you there. I’ll probably suck at water spells though.” He grinned viciously. “Can’t _wait_ to learn the time spells.”

“What for?” Kairi asked, brow furrowing.

“What _for?_ Are you kidding me? I could put a bubble spell over my room and sleep for _days!_ I’m giddy just thinking about it.” Lea’s eyes shone with healthy anticipation, but it made Riku scowl.

Seriously? Using powerful reality altering magic for _sleeping?_

Sora didn’t seem the share the same sentiments. He nodded, arms crossed and eyes shut in thought. “That’d be cool.” He glanced at them. “Hey, do you think there are more spells we don’t know about? Like, outside of the elements and time and stuff?”

Riku shot him a look. That was… an odd question for Sora to ask. That Sora even thought of it in the first place sounded an alarm for Riku. Sora could be frequently and predictably off the wall with his strange exclamations, but introspective thinking wasn’t his forte or hobby.

“Maybe?” Kairi hummed. “There’s tons of books in Yen Sid’s library. He put you two to sleep to dream, right? That’s probably different than the regular spell we know.”

Sora hummed, eyes uncharacteristically lost between here and there, but then he focused on Kairi and was grinning wide as the sky again. “I wonder what your specialty will be! Magic? Offense, defense, healing?”

“I wonder, too,” Kairi trailed off, expression becoming practiced. It hurt Riku to see it. He felt responsible for it. She was like that because she was _used_ to it, being left out and behind, where the rest of them had experience and memories to count on. But instead of remaining wistful, she pumped her fists in the air. “I’m going to find out and _I’m_ going to be good at something too!”

Sora laughed good naturedly, and even Lea joined in with a few chuckles. Riku just smiled, accustomed to muffling his first impulse.

The door behind them opened, and Aqua emerged from the tower, expression warm like the perpetual fire-lit fog around them. “I see you’re all here already. That’s good.” Riku and Kairi stood to let her pass between them, the tails of her wrap drifting behind her. She smelled like rainwater and the chill of winter air, sharp and refreshing.

“Aqua!” Sora’s eyes lit up, and he bounded to her, dropping his keyblade mid-air to dematerialize. “What are we gonna start with? Water? Fire? Time? _Lightning?”_

Aqua looked momentarily taken aback, but she quickly gained her bearings, laughing and reaching to ruffle Sora’s hair with a familiarity that made Riku frown. She’d only met him once when they were kids, and had reunited with them a brief time ago. It was… unusual. Then again, maybe Sora just inspired that kind of reaction in others, since Lea was just as affectionate.

Or maybe it was the hearts sleeping in Sora that called to them.

“First we’ll see what your forms look like,” Aqua said, stepping back then moved around Sora. He stayed mostly still aside from a minute bounce he couldn’t seem to shake, watching her circle him. Aqua hummed. “Then we’ll see your reaction time, inclinations, check your abilities, and move from there.”

Sora deflated. “So no magic?”

Aqua raised her hand to hide a fond laugh. “You’ll be sparring with someone first, so yes, some magic.”

Sora perked back up. He did a little shimmer and jive, as if the energy inside him couldn’t be contained. “Alright!” He threw his hands in the air and laughed, just plain delighted.

Aqua turned towards the three just waffling around, and her eyes locked on Riku. “Come on, up and at it. Kairi’s not versed in magic and Lea only knows fire.” Lea shrugged unapologetically but Kairi wilted a little. Aqua noticed. “It’s not your fault. Terra and I trained for years before we even touched keyblades — yours are... unusual methods.”

Yeah, Riku thought. Summoning darkness, forcing battle on your friends, and getting dragged into a war spanning centuries was _unusual._

Nonetheless he swung up to stand and summoned his keyblade with a flick of his wrist at his side, taking his place across Sora.

“As I’m sure you know, battles in real time can feel much longer than they really are. However, that is no excuse to drop your guard or to be impulsive. You _must_ be so well versed and confident in your abilities that can use them all at any moment.” Aqua’s tone dropped from friendly and consoling to controlled and even, a shift that left Riku side-eyeing her.

He trusted Aqua. She was one of the greatest masters, and might even surpass Yen Sid. She was stronger than Mickey, and had a heart so pure it took a decade for cracks to even appear while caged in the realm of darkness. It hadn’t even taken Riku a _week_ for the same to happen.

Aqua had abilities he didn’t even know of. Her barriers were second to none, her strength unparalleled, and her magic seemed so effortless it was as if all she needed was the impulse required to twitch a finger. Aqua had twenty years of experience on them, maybe more, and at least ten of those had been spent in constant battle.

Being trained by her was an honor. However Riku would not forget she had fallen, and it wasn’t her fault, but once darkness touched you it never let go.

Riku was stained by it, and he knew she was too.

He’d resolved to himself to watch her quietly, unwilling to ruin the faith the others had placed in her as their foundation. Sora was starry eyed with awe, and Riku was loathe to destroy it with mere doubts.

“Get ready,” Aqua commanded, voice heavy in a way Riku rarely heard. He shifted, bringing Braveheart level with his head. He exhaled, quiet and controlled, willing his heartbeat slow. Closing his eyes, Riku centered himself, feeling the pulse of blood from his heart through his veins to his fingertips, the to-and-fro of return-and-go. Riku was born and raised on islands surrounded by water. It was in his nature, in his being, it was all he was made of. His control and the meditative practices he’d been taught were focused on finding the center of himself.

He inhaled, held, exhaled, and met Sora’s vibrant sky-eyes. Lifting his other hand, Riku beckoned him forwards with a smirk.

“Begin!”

Her demand was a beat late — Sora had already charged forward, the toe of his first step pushing dirt into a miniature mound, the last syllable of her voice sounding as his second step brought him closer. Riku watched him carefully, saw his blue eyes flicker from Braveheart to Riku’s to his outstretched hand to his feet and Riku saw the decision there.

He turned and brought the momentum of the move backwards, around, and up, the sharp electric clang of steel on steel echoing in his eardrums as Sora brought his strike down against his guard.

They grinned at each over their crossed blades before backing off and resuming.

Sora was right. He called forth lightning, wind, water, fire to taunt Riku, to gain the advantage over Riku’s reach and strength, curtailing his frequent backtracks and prowling habits within a constrained space. Sora was liable to leap and curve over Riku’s blade, backflips and handstands and even a _cartwheel_ — “Sora! Really?”

Sora’s laughter found him when they crossed blades again, but Sora had a grip strength unrivaled. He shoved hard against Riku and flicked his wrist down and sharply up to the side, carrying the energy from the meeting into forcing Riku’s blade away. Riku’s brows shot to his hairline, impressed. He’d gathered from the nights they spent awake and restless that Sora had really just learned on his own. This cyclical nature in his style was surprising, and while perhaps intuitive, suited Sora. He was short, lithe, with a smaller frame than Riku’s to boot. Taking Riku’s power and giving it back to him with an added bonus was _smart,_ and Riku was bluntly surprised.

“You’ve gotten better, Sora!” Riku called, knowing Sora would recognize the taunt for what it was.

“Oh yeah?” Sora grinned vivaciously, eyes flickering with starlight. “I still remember kicking your ass!”

Riku barked a short and haughty laugh, and then Sora did a strange twirl and smashed the flat of his blade against Riku’s, rising and catching on the teeth of Sora’s key before he twisted once more and finally succeeded in knocking Riku’s blade out of his hands.

Riku had let him take the offensive, since this was a study of Sora’s abilities and not Riku’s, but the moment Sora stood before him, chest heaving and cheeks flushed, teeth flashing white, he forgot Kairi and Lea watching enviously, and Aqua and his doubts, and he dropped low to the ground, spinning and swinging Sora’s feet out from under him.

Sora landed with a grunt and gasp and Riku summoned Braveheart back in hand, throwing his knee over Sora’s chest and shoving the blade into the soft disturbed dirt by Sora’s neck.

Riku was breathing hard too, but he was grinning. “Give, Sora?”

Sora bit his lip but couldn’t check his smile. “Never.”

He lifted his hand up, almost as if he was going to caress Riku’s face, but when he moved no further Riku frowned in confusion.

Realization dawned on him and he _barely_ ducked to the side quick enough to avoid Sora’s keyblade rocketing into his hand, suppressing the startled yelp. Sora caught it, if his wagging brows were any indication, and then Sora grabbed him by his collar and pulled _hard,_ rolling them over until Sora sat on Riku, positing his blade over Riku’s throat. It was shorter and less awkward in close quarters, and Sora leaned over it, inches from Riku’s face.

“Give, Riku?” Sora crooned.

Riku growled in frustration. “So- _ra!”_

Sora laughed shamelessly in his face, and then someone clapped twice.

From his position, Riku had to look up. He watched as Aqua approached them upside down. “You two did well. I’m impressed.”

From anyone else, the words would’ve sounded sarcastic, but Aqua spoke softly. It reminded Riku of the ocean waves he could hear from his bedroom on the islands, soothing like white noise. Sora shifted and stood off of him, giving Riku a hand he gladly took. It didn’t hide his minute gasp when Sora hauled him up, but the cheeky grin told Riku it’d been on purpose.

“You cheated,” Riku accused. “I had you down and you know it.”

“It’s not _cheating,”_ Sora sang, blade dematerializing as he folded his hands behind his head. “You did the same thing!”

“Not before you called the match!”

“Still counts!”

“No it doesn’t!”

“You knocked me off my feet!”

“Oh, I didn’t realize I was that charming,” Riku quipped, rolling his eyes.

“Ugh, you’re so full of yourself,” Sora groaned.

“Sora’s right,” Aqua cut in, amused. “A battle’s not won until the opponent’s down.” The way she said it told Riku she meant lethally or as close as you could get. It made him shift uncomfortably in place. “Sora, who taught you how to wield?”

“Uhm,” Sora frowned, less pout and more furrowed brows. He rubbed under his nose in thought. “No one, kinda. Me ‘n Riku used practice together all the time, but no one told us anything. Once I got the keyblade I just learned from uhh,” he glanced at Riku, eyes beseeching him.

Riku sighed as if put out, and if they were alone he might’ve rested his elbow on Sora’s shoulder. “Trial and error.”

“That!” Sora concluded.

Aqua nodded, a curled finger on her lips. “I can see that.”

It was said carefully even, but from beside him Riku could feel the slight shift in Sora’s mood. It didn’t show though, and again Riku mourned the changes he was responsible for. He felt Aqua’s eyes on him next, and he lifted his gaze from Sora. She was staring at him, not quite in confusion but definitely with some heavy thoughts. He had no doubts she’d seek him out later for a discussion on his own training.

“This was very enlightening. I see evidence of other’s styles you’ve incorporated into your own, and your own instinctual realization of your limitations that you’ve striven to overcome. It’s messy, rough, and slapdash, but with some focus and practice, I see a very promising master in the making.” Aqua ended her critique with a resounding warmth, smiling at Sora fondly.

Sora brightened, blooming in his joy. “Really? Better than Riku?”

“Hey!”

Aqua chuckled. “His equal, yes, but better? Not if he has anything to say about it, I suspect.”

Riku crossed his arms and bodychecked Sora, but he absorbed the movement and rocked back into Riku. Riku met Sora's eyes as he said, “Damn right. I won’t make it easy for you.”

Sora laughed and held his fist up, forearm bared to Riku. Riku’s answering smile spread wide as he bumped forearms with Sora. “That’s what I wanna hear!”

“Thank you, Riku,” Aqua murmured, and he inclined his head. Flicking Sora’s hood as a parting shot, Riku jogged back towards Kairi, his part done. Kairi pushed lightly against his shoulder and then settled comfortably into his side.

“You smell like sweat,” she commented, but made no sign of moving.

 _“You_ try battling a ball of energy like Sora and come out without breaking a sweat,” Riku scowled. Sitting on the railing by Riku with his legs stretched out, Lea made a rumbling sound like laughter.

He focused again a Aqua moved forward, taking her place across from Sora this time.

For a length of time, she went over various corrections and drills, insisting he memorize them to practice later, though Riku did her the favor of doing that instead, knowing that the moment their session was over Sora would forget. It was interesting to not only see actual instruction, but methods different from his own. Certain things, like the proper angle to deflect attacks to minimize impact on the wrist and instead absorb it with your shoulder, seemed more universal, and he committed it to memory to later break down.

Kairi and Lea were equally observant, absorbing new information greedily. Lea had experience with his chakrams, but wielding a blade was something different.

Finally she let up, and Sora sighed in exaggeration. “Why am I more tired from a lecture than sparring with Riku?” Sora whined.

“Do you _really_ want me to answer that?” Riku asked, lips curling on one end.

“Shut it!”

“I see what Master Yen Sid meant about your attention,” Aqua murmured, lips pursed, but her tone was still fond. It rankled at him. It wasn’t jealousy — _that_ ugly bug had bit particularly sharp before, and he could recognize it. It was pure discomfort. Watching a virtual stranger act so familial with someone he’d sworn to protect left him with his skin crawling.

He distrusted her. It wasn’t fair, but he did. He bit down on his impulses though, lowering his gaze.

Sora needed friends, but did Sora need people who only saw whom they wanted to?

There was no telling if that was the truth, but Riku had a healthy suspicion.

“Alright,” Aqua said, stepping a few paces back. She stood straight, heels together, and her hands steady at her sides. “Sora, I want to ask you something.”

Riku could tell by Sora’s eyes that he’d sensed the change, but Sora affected ignorance and nonchalance. “Go for it!”

“Do you understand what’s at stake?”

Riku nearly swore, and it was only Kairi’s hand curling painfully tight on his arm that stayed his knee-jerk reaction to stand up in protest. Did Sora _understand?_ Sora, who housed the hearts of others in him? Sora, who’d near fallen prey to Xehanort’s designs? Sora, who’d saved them all here?

It was insult to injury.

Sora merely smiled, constrained and nothing like the belly-aching laughter Riku had engraved memories on his heart of. That tiny flick of his lips was what _Riku_ was responsible for, and Aqua was asking if Sora _understood?_

“Of course I do,” Sora said. He lifted his hand, hovering over his heart. “They… I know, Aqua.” He leveled her with a gaze older than he was, but still he seemed heartbreakingly kind. “They’re at stake.”

“Do you _understand,”_ it felt as if she was slicing the word into the air, “what your failure would mean?”

Sora faltered, drawing in on himself. “Yeah… yeah, I do.” His hand curled in and he glanced aside, gaze dropping. He inhaled shakily. “They’d be gone. The worlds would be. I would.”

Riku shuddered. He never let the thoughts go too far, too much, even though he knew it was a very real possibility. Sora was a target, a bloody X seared into his flesh, a scar he flinched away from in mirrors. Sora was a casualty Riku couldn’t bear, was a wound he was already too weak to take.

Sora couldn’t fall, because he’d take Riku with him.

“I don’t mean to be…” Aqua trailed off, voice small. “I just… I can’t lose him again, Sora.”

But, Sora did what he does best.

He forgave. He lifted his eyes and gave her his sunlit smile, promising hope and perseverance in turn. “You won’t! He’s safe with me, and he’ll wake up and tell you how much he misses you, because he does. I can feel it. He misses you and Terra all the time.”

The frost melted and Aqua looked at him with such _love_ that Riku couldn’t bear to see it. It wasn’t Sora she was gazing at. It was Ventus, a boy battered by wind and cradled by the breeze, a victim of life’s frequent capricious nature.

“Thank you, Sora.” Aqua was beautiful. Riku didn’t know if it was her pain, her strength, or her kindness, but she was. She had risen above the filth that had sought to drag her down, and was so blindingly brilliant they had landed sights on her and claimed her as the one. She spearheaded them now, even as Sora and Riku took on more and more daring roles.

Another moment passed before she shed it like water off her back, shaking her head slightly. She resumed her stance. “Alright, whenever you’re ready, come at me.”

And Sora, _still_ such a kid, barely waited a moment. He charged forward, grin in place, and Aqua met his blade easily. She fended him off and he jumped back, contemplative.

“Come _on,_ Sora!” She shouted in her melodious voice. It carried well, rising high over their impromptu clearing. Aqua waded her blade as if through water, a spell blurring into existence around her. It snaked into an arc in front of her feet before it pulsed into jagged spears. It was a water spell, but none Riku had seen before. “There’s no pausing in battle!” She shot a spear towards him with the flick of her wrist and Sora rolled out of the way. Behind him, a carefully maintained bush took the brunt of the impact, branches and leaves caving in. Riku’s mouth grew dry.

His feet scampered from the sudden shift as his hand kept him mostly upright, dirt kicking up before he regained his balance. Aqua was already on him, another shot of the spell thrumming before her feet catapulting towards Sora and colliding with his clumsy guard. It exploding in water droplets that sprayed even Riku and Kairi, who squeaked in shock.

“Sora!” Aqua snapped. His head jerked towards her, and Riku could see sweat and water misting his face. “I know you can do better! Your instincts will save you!”

Riku could hear Sora’s ragged breaths already as he staggered from the hit, but he took direction well. The next hit cleared him as he rolled again, and the next missed as he performed a flip that carried him over it.

“Defense will get you nowhere,” Aqua’s voice cut like thunder in the air. “Attack me!”

“I’m—” Sora grunted, zig-zagging towards her to avoid the spells slamming into the ground, dirt exploding into columns, “trying!”

“Try _harder!”_

Sora, perhaps taking a cue from her manipulative style, jumped into the air and then propelled himself with wind, flipping forwards to land behind her. He swung sharply with blade extended, and the multitude of spears Aqua set loose were demolished in the swing. Projectiles finally defeated, Sora moved in, and Aqua engaged him in close-range battle.

It was obvious Sora was still on the defense. No matter how he tried, Aqua spun, attacked, danced out of reach, and reacted so quickly it was as if she read every movement before he tried.

 _“Sora!”_ Aqua hissed.

Riku could feel Sora’s frustration. He wasn’t enjoying this. Aqua was relentlessly checking all his mistakes, faults, flaws, and shortcomings, things she’d already taught him how to overcome. It wasn’t fair that Sora had to learn so fast, but Aqua was right. The stakes were more than any of them could afford.

The clang of blades echoed, and when Sora called thunder down it rumbled. Kairi burrowed into Riku’s side, squeezing his arm tight. She didn’t like it, he knew. Kairi did not choose violence first, and watching Sora take on someone who outmatched him made her uncomfortably aware that he’d experienced this before and would experience it again, in circumstances that could lead to a lost heart or a stolen soul.

Riku knew it hurt her, because it hurt him too.

“Is this it?” Aqua landed one, two, three quick hits against Sora’s key, and he stumbled over his feet against the barrage. “Your resolve amounts to _this?”_

“No!” Sora cried. He tried to create distance but Aqua closed in.

“Is this the weight of your promise?” Aqua pulled back, allowing Sora to scamper away, and in a spell Riku had never seen, she slashed her blade out to the side, a growing length of shining chains glittering into existence. Like the crack of a whip, Aqua snapped the chains towards Sora, wrapping him in them. With a grunt she hauled him towards her, an aggressive jerking moment that tore Sora’s voice from him. “Is this _it?_ Is this all you have to save Ven?”

 _“No!”_ Sora struggled against the bonds, glaring viciously, but his arms were pinned to his body inside them, chain-links the size of Riku’s forearm squeezing him tight. Aqua brought her blade up, and Riku's heart stopped.

He was up and moving, bringing Braveheart up, ears ringing and arms stinging from bearing the sudden impact of Aqua’s blade against his. He stood protectively before Sora, glaring at Aqua and breathing hard.

“What’s _wrong_ with you?” Riku seethed, struggling to keep the weight of Aqua’s blade up. Behind him Sora grunted and moved, attempting to get free from the glowing chains growing tighter. “Is this how you train your students? With violence and unrelenting attacks?” Riku shoved and pushed her off with a shout, and she backed off. Kairi was saying something, Lea too, but Riku couldn't hear them over the roaring of his blood in his hears.

He must’ve struck a nerve, because the chains vanished. Immediately Riku turned his back on her, dropping to his knees to catch Sora as he fell and gasped, greedily sucking in air. “Sora, Sora,” Riku murmured, soothing his hair back from his face. He was covered in bruises and scratches, and there was a cut on his temple. Each wound sparked and ignited Riku’s anger, and he cupped Sora’s face, leaning down. “Hey, look at me, just look at me, Sora.”

Sora’s blue eyes locked onto Riku’s, and easily the spell thrummed to life, green light glistening from his palm as honeysuckle and lotus bloomed above him, drifting warmth. Sora’s wounds closed up and healed, leaving only dirt and blood as evidence. Riku kept Sora’s gaze until his breathing settled, then he shifted, shielding Sora from Aqua’s view.

“Well?” Riku demanded. “Will you explain yourself, or should I assume that you still haven’t controlled the darkness inside you yet?”

Aqua seemed lost. Small, and lost. Her key was gone, and she stared beyond Riku, where she knew Sora was. She shook her head slowly. “I… I didn’t mean to.” Her voice broke and her eyes were wide and the entirety of her screamed fear but Riku couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Your _intentions,”_ Riku hissed, “don’t matter to me. You’re meant to be training him in magic, not traumatizing him! We all know what’s at stake, Aqua, him more than the rest of us.”

 _X marks the spot,_ Sora would murmur with a smile, trying to make light of a pain etched like a brand into his skin. Sora’s back and chest bore reminders he couldn’t look at anymore, and there was nothing Riku could do to fix that.

“I don’t— I’ve fought nothing but shadows for so long—” Aqua bit her lip, and all at once the fight left her. “I’m sorry,” she said, head bowed.

Riku opened his mouth to tell her exactly what he thought of her apology, but Sora’s hand clumsily at his chest stopped him. He turned towards him immediately, eyes searching Sora’s face.

No anger, no resentment, not even irritation. Just infuriating empathy.

“It’s okay, Aqua,” Sora said, using Riku’s shoulder as an anchor to push himself to stand. He made his way to her. Riku remained kneeling for a second, hating how much he recognized that look on Sora’s face. “You can’t help what you’re used to, and you’re right. I can’t afford to fail.”

“I went too far,” Aqua whispered.

“Maybe,” Sora conceded. “But I’m not hurt. Anything you did was easily healed, and besides! I learned a lot from just the little we did. Teach me more.” Sora grabbed her hands, ducking his head to meet her eyes. “Please? They won’t stop like you.”

Riku stood and watched them. Aqua’s eyes sought his gaze, reading them, and he knew intimately what she felt.

Hope, desperation, the desire for true forgiveness, that what Sora offered was sincere and genuine and held no falsehoods. That he truly wouldn’t condemn her for it.

“‘Sides, I need moves like yours if I’m going to beat Riku!”

That surprised a laugh from her, but the damage was done.

Riku knew as well as she did the darkness staining their shoulders. They’d carry it with them, they were changed by it. They were alike, but Riku wouldn’t forgive her for it.

Sora couldn’t fall, and Riku wouldn’t allow anyone to tempt that.

**Author's Note:**

> twitter | @_oathbreaker
> 
> Let me know what you think!


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